Closure for vertical retorts



Oct. 18, 1927; ,646,325

P. G. STRASSMANN I CLOSURE FOR VERTICAL RETORTS Filed Nov. 2, 1925"/////////////II/I/II/Illll///II/ .Inven tor.- B'UL STIZAsSMAu PatentedOct. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES:

PA ENT: OFFICE.

PAUL GERHARD srnasslyrann or onnnnnngennivranv.

c osUnE non VERTICAL REToRTs.

Application filed November 2, 1925, Serial Ito- 66,415, and in GermanyMay 31, 1924;

This invention relates to a sealingmeans for vertical retorts,generating chambers or the like, andmore particularly to a combined wetand dry sealing means for producing a reliable connection between theretort proper and the detachable floor or bottom portion thereof.

The means of the wet or liquid type hitherto proposed for sealing thebottoms of vertical retorts, generating chambers or the like(hereinafter termed merely the retort) suffer under the disadvantagethat the material in the retort to be gasified, or also the fillingmaterial which is employed to fill up the lower, unheated part of theretort, falls down into the water, i. e., the

channel or trough, and becomes saturated.

The capillary action of the finely granulated material sucks up thewater, which enters into contact with the refractory material of thelowerwalls of the retort. This results in the refractory material beingattacked thereby, and this may even be carried to such extent that thestrength of the retort 1s greatly undermined.

More earlier proposals provide for a short annular extension to thelower part of the retort, which is made to dip into a small dry channeland prevents the filling material from dropping into the actual waterchannel or trough, which is situated outside of the dry channel. Thisarrangement, however, has the disadvantage that the detachable fioor orbottom portion together with the channel possesses considerable width,and cannot be easily brought into position underneath the retort.

It has therefore also been proposed to construct the detachable floorwith a raised or elevated portion projecting into the interior of theretort in such manner that the material to be gasified is neither ableto fall into the water channel nor into the un heated part of theretort. In this case the dry sealing means is situated at such heightwithin the retort that the unheated part of the retort is kept free fromthe material to be gasified. In the case of this arrangement diificultyin construction of no mean kind is met with in the embodiment of thelower, unheated part of the retort, as the raised or elevated part tothe floor or bottom portion in view of the rotary movement about alaterally disposed axis does not allow the walls of the retort to beextended vertically'to thelower plane of the floor.

lVith large retorts, however, a firm support for the heavy walls isanessential condition for the strength.

The object of the present invention is to overcome these said drawbackswithout los ing any of the advantages of the constructions referred to.i

The invention is shown by way of exami ple in the accompanying drawing,which illustrates the bottom of the retort with the improved sealingmeans in vertical section. eferrmg to the drawing, the'lower or wetseallng means consists of a' water channel ortrough a, the floor orbottom of the retort being pivotable about a laterally isposed hingebolt 6. Beneath the aperture of the retort the floor or bottom part isfurnished with a raised or elevated portion '0, which extends up beyondthe level of the water in the channel a. The lower part of the retort issupported by means of a flanged metal ring (2, Which dips into the waterchannel a, and thus produces a wet gastight method of sealing.

The lower closure ring a? of the retort also possesses on the inner edgea packing shoulder or ledge e, against which rests the circumferentiallyprojecting edge of the elevated portion 0. The closure between thepacking shoulder e and the elevated portion 0 need not be gastight, butmerely sufficiently dense to prevent the filling material, which fillsout the unheated part of the retort and supports the material to begasified, from being able to drop into the water channel a.

The advantage of this arrangement consists in the compact constructionof the whole sealing means as regards the width, so that the same mayalso be applied to retorts which are situated closely together;

also in the fact that the elevated portion 0 struction of the refractorymaterial in the retort, is eompletel avoided without losing theadvantages otl ierwise attained, viz, a slow vaporization of the sealingWater by the radiating heat of the lower part of the retort, which wouldotherwise be entirely lost in the form of heat radiation, from the flooror bottom portion. The steam formed in the channel a is able, as before,to reach the interior of the retort in View of the fact that theclosureformed bythe elevated portion a and thezpacking shoulder or ledge e isnot gastight.

closure ring, said ring having an annular packing shoulder thereon, ahinged door member having an annular trough portion adapted to receivethe closure ring and a sealing liquid, said door having a centralelevated portion engaging the packing shoulder of ithe closure ring. V 1

In testimony whereof I have ailixed my signature.

PAUL GERHARD sTRAssMANNQ

